The Heart
by Imaginashun
Summary: For the first time in his life, Ulquiorra wanted to live, he wanted to feel, he wanted her, but was it too late? What if he got another chance? Would he really make the best of it; of this new heart he had been given? Rated M or language and later ch.
1. Chapter 1

Hey!

this is my fist fanfic C: I know this chapters kind of long, especially for my first, and it probably isnt the best, but please enjoy~ and please, if I make a mistake feel free to point it out and I would love tips!

Bleach belongs to tite kubo~ :)

* * *

The last thing I remember was her face. The very last thing that I could remember, that I could think about, was her face. Her silky auburn hair blowing in the slight breeze that carried my ashes off the top of Las Noches to mix with the white sands. Her milky white skin, paled by her days as a prisoner, slightly scratched and dirtied. And her eyes. Her beautiful gray eyes shining in an invisible light, digging into my own with an invisible force that wanted me to reach out to her, touch her, comfort her, to let her know that I was okay. That my disappearing body wasn't the end of me, and that I was going to stay there. That wouldn't work though. I killed the person she loved, and if I didn't die now... Nothing good would come from my survival.

Her flawless face was contorted into something I couldn't understand. Pain was evident, but why? Did I not take her away from her home, threaten the safety of her loved ones, and kill Ichigo Kurosaki right in front of her eyes? Why were tears threatening to spill down her cheeks? Why did her expression right now make me feel this way? This way... what was this feeling...? This heavy feeling in my chest; in my body, gluing my entire being to her... I reached out to her, lifting my heavy limb with every fiber of my being.

"... Are you scared of me girl...?"

She shifted slightly, removing her hand from its place on her chest.

"I am not scared," she stated, lifting her slim arm up to meet mine.

"... I see..."

I felt the pain wash over me, but it wasn't the pain of my failing body, but the pain of realizing it was too late to do anything.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to live. I wanted to live to feel her warm hands against my own, my own hand that right there disappeared, as if telling me it was impossible. It was impossible to touch her now, no matter how much I wanted to. I could have touched her as much as I wanted within the time she spent as my prisoner, but why didn't I? I saw her every day, yet the only time we touched was when she struck my. Why did I crave her now? … That reminded me of something... Something she said to me... That memory strangely made me feel content. How she spoke to me so easily...

_Now I understand_, I thought. _This here, in my hand._

_The heart_.

* * *

"Orihime what are you doing?" Ichigo shouted, yanking her arm back. He immediately regretted it.

Tears were flowing freely down her face, along with a runny nose and wet lips. She was a crying hysterically, shaking, gasping, and struggling to stay on her feet. Just a moment ago she calmly walked over to the small pile of ashes that were not completely blown away and called out her fairies. Now she was panicking. He wasn't healing. Nothing was happening. She didn't want this, she didn't want anyone to die, especially like this.

"LET GO!" She pushed him away, not even looking at him, and focused her attention back to the pile of ashes. Nothing was happening. She got down on her knees and put all of her strength into her shield. Nothing.

"Ul... Ulquiorra... Ulquiorra..." She sobbed, leaning on the shield.

_ Please... Please... Please come back Ulquiorra... Please... _Why did it have to be like this? Why did she want to save him so bad? Why did it hurt so bad seeing him turn to dust right before her eyes? Was it because her way of thinking, that no one deserved a death like that? Maybe, but either way she had to try. Something inside her was screaming to be set free, to do something, to bring him back.

She closed her eyes, resting her forehead against the orange glow. What was she going to do? Was this the end? No. She could not let it end like this. Not in one million years. Thinking of what he said right before he disappeared, the expression on his face that she thought she would never get to see, she pulled out strength she never knew she had. Whatever she had bottle up was uncapped. It coursed through her veins like a gasp of fresh air, blowing away all of her worries and doubtful thoughts until only clear, positive thoughts were left. She could do this. She opened her eyes.

There he was. Eyes closed, chest heaving, but in one piece. She forgot to breathe. Was this really happening? She couldn't believe it. It was a miracle. Never in her life did she feel so relieved, so happy. She was crying tears of joy now, pressing her hands against her Sōten Kisshun that held the naked but alive Ulquiorra, giggling and nearly bouncing up and down from pure glee. He was alive!

"Ichigo, look! He's okay! I really did it!"

She turned around to look him in his eyes, but met Uryuu's instead. Oops.

"Orihim-BLEHGH!" Uryuu's knees gave out, causing him to swing on Ichigo just in time for his blood barf to splat all over Ichigo's chest. He reacted by dropping Uryuu flat on his back, to which he rolled over and vomited more fluids.

"Gross! What the hell Uryuu?" Ichigo raged as he attempted to remove the little bit of soiled clothing from his chest.

"Sh-shut the f-fuck up," he managed to grunt between clenched teeth before he fell unconscious. Orihime didn't waste a second. The moment he closed his eyes she extended her Sōten Kisshun until his entire body was under the orange field. Mission accomplished. How could she forget about him though? It made her feel bad...

"Orihime do you realize what you just did?" His voice augmented after every syllable.

"Ichigo I-"

"You brought him back to life! He kidnapped you and tried to kill me!" He was yelling now. Orihime cowered, staring at him with eyes as big as dinner plates. Of course he would be angry, but he wasn't even giving her a chance to speak. Her mind fell numb, looking for something to say, some sort of excuse, but nothing would come out of her mouth.

"Wai-!" She tried again.

"Are you really even our friend anymore? Uryuu, Chad, Rukia... Everyone came here to save you and now you are betraying us? Did you really le-!"

"I DONT KNOW!" She finally had enough. She was tired of no one listening to her, no one waiting to hear her out. It was always like this. Protect protect protect, like she was some toddler who couldn't do anything by herself. She knew what she did was wrong, but that was the last thought on her mind when she saw Ulquiorra fade to dust right before her eyes. Her mind was running a million miles a minute, but she knew she had to do something, and that's what she did. She did was her heart told her to do, no matter how wrong it was, because at that moment it felt right.

"I dont know... I just did it! I just did..." She managed between gasps and sobs, a fresh coat of tears trailing from her eyes. "I just wanted him to live..." There was no other way to say it. The real reason was still a question in her mind, and now she was suffering from shock. Had she _really_ done the right thing? Yes, or at least it felt that way. Then why was she struggling with the words in her mouth? Was it really too much? What would Ichigo think of she said the words in her throat? It was all pointing in different directions.

"You wanted him to _live_? Orihime-"

"Ichigo," Uryuu cut in, awake and looking better. "That's enough. We don't have time to argue, there are more important matters at hand."

All eyes were on the Quincy, absorbing what he said. Ichigo then relaxed his face and nodded in agreement. Orihime was glad he interrupted, she would have had a total meltdown if he didn't.

"Uryuu are you okay now?" Orihime asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"I'm fine Orihime, thank you," he nodded to her. "We better get going guys."

Ichigo nodded, taking a glance at Orihime before he pursued Uryuu. Orihime didn't move, looking at them both quizzically. Had they forgotten, or they just didn't care? Well, she wasn't moving either way. Not without Ulquiorra.

"U-um..." They both stopped on cue, finally remembering the unconscious man Orihime saved. "We can't... leave him..." If they forced her to leave him now he would surely die. He was in no condition to travel either. Someone had to carry him.

"Orihime..." Uryuu turned his head and looked at her for a long moment. He then turned around completely. _If it's what she wants, there is no helping it._..

"Uryuu what are you doing?" Ichigo reached out and grabbed his arm, gaining his full attention. "Are you really going to help _him_?"

"I'm helping _her_! Her decision was to bring him back, and we are not going to kill him now that Orihime made that decision!" He yanked his arm out of the bewildered man's grip. "She is _our friend_, Ichigo. No matter what happens, she will always be _our friend_! Did we not come here to save her?"

"Yes, but we didn't come here to save Ulquiorra! We came here to save her _from_ Ulquiorra! He kidnapped her and now she wants to bring him back? That doesn't make sense! You should see that—NGH!"

Uryuu, not even listening to his last sentence, turned around and punched him square in the face faster than lightning, sending him flying backwards a few feet. Orihime covered her mouth in shock, diverting her gaze from the sprawled out Ichigo to the fuming Uryuu.

"Shut up! I already explained, _It doesn't matter_! This was Orihime's choice!" He blocked Ichigo's kick, getting into a defensive position. "Are you not her friend Ichigo? She needs our help right no—OWH!" Ichigo got him back with a punch to the left side of his face, causing him to fly to the left a few yards, earning a startled scream as he landed right next to Orihime.

"You guys, stop!" She looked between the two, trying not to lose concentration on her Sōten Kisshun. "Uryuu are you okay?" _He flew really far..._

"I'm fine." He wiped the blood off his face and got back up. "You can do what you want, Ichigo, but I'm helping Orihime with Ulquiorra."

"... Fine." He jumped off the tower, heading for Everyone's spiritual pressure. The tension disappeared immediately. _What was his problem? I mean, Ulquiorra did kind of kill him... and I guess it pissed him off pretty bad, but their was no reason for him to hit Uryuu! _Orihime thought, flustered by his attitude. _Well, at least hes okay... _She stared at Ulquiorra's teal tear marks, running through the events that happened.

"... Do you think hes really that mad at me...?" She gazed at her hands, waiting for an answer. _He couldn't... hate me. Right? He came here to save me after all..._

"He'll get over it, don't worry." Uryuu patted her shoulder trying to comfort her. _He's just a crybaby._

A smile graced her face, "Yeah, probably." _Uryuu, your such a good person. _It was true, Uryuu was always there for her and usually knew just what to say, He was always so kind and serious, but he always managed to put a smile on her face, but most people could do that.

Uryuu's eyes lingered for a bit. She was always cuter when she smiled. _It suited her, _he thought as he focused on Ulquiorra. He closed his eyes slowly, feeling a little uncomfortable. Had she not noticed? _Probably not. I'd better let her know... _"Orihime, he's naked."

"... Well yeah, he cam beck from ash-" Just then she realized what he really meant. Her face turned a dark shade of red, like a tomato. She stared blankly at him for a second before closing her eyes with her hands. Sōten Kisshun shattered.

_OMGOMGOMGOMG HOW EMBARASSING. I really was staring at him naked the whole time- OHMYGOSH!_ She suddenly remembered staring at his naked white body, the image of his smooth skin, perfect build, and... everything else carved into her mind. Her eyes shot open in a panic only to meet the image of Uryuu stripping to cover Ulquiorra. Who was _still naked. _Her mind scattered into 5,000 different directions, causing her to have a blinking, twitching, 'eep'ing fit for at least three seconds before she received a nosebleed and fainted. It was the strangest thing Uryuu had seen in a long time. It worried him at first, but then again... _It was Orihime... _He thought, removing his cape, coat, and belt. Luckily he had a sewing kit with him.

* * *

Is this what it felt like to be dead...? How strange. It felt like a 'dream', or at least what that woman described it as. I felt warm, content, like I could stay this was forever; with her in my mind, playing back the last words that fell from her pink lips like rain drops. Rain drops that blurred my vision; leaving a melancholy feeling, like I was sinking in a bottomless ocean. I would never get to see her again, not the light of day nor the stars of night. I sank deeper, deeper, but something stopped me from drowning. It felt like I was floating upward, like the heavy chains dragging me down into this epitome of depression were untangled from my body, lifting me up for oxygen. Now I was here, in this nostalgic, tangible darkness, thinking about her. Her long, beautiful hair cascading over her shoulders-

_Nudge._

…

_Nudge._

_ … _What is that?

_ "Hey! I'm not dressing you! Get up!"_

My eyes flew open, immediately making contact with a blinding light and an angry teen's face. Scrambled thoughts left me light headed; millions of questions running through my mind all at once. I managed to pull some together. _The Quincy?_

"Why are you yelling such indecent things? Get out of my face." Apparently, I didn't die. _How did I live, then?_ No, I did die, I remember turning to ash. _Then what am I doing here? That woman-_

"Hey, shut the hell up! I spent forever on these clothes so you wouldn't give Orihime a heart attack!" His face was red from anger and embarrassment.

_Orihime?_ That hit me like a cero to the face. Everything came rushing back to my mind, leaving me speechless. Surprise must have been evident on my expression; the atmosphere shifted, placing tension in the air.

"Where is she?" I almost sounded desperate.

"Tch!" The Quincy was annoyed now, getting up and throwing a neatly folded pile of cloth on my chest. "Just put it on."

I stared at him for a moment before I painfully rose off of my back and saw that I was nude. _So I was brought back. _I looked around at my surroundings, which were unsurprisingly familiar, when something orange caught my eye. The world froze for a moment. It felt like the skin on my head was pulled off, scrambling my thoughts once again into chaos. It was her, lying there on her back, as if asleep. It took me a moment to gather my brain again, making me well aware of the throbbing in my temple.

_ Did she do this to me? Was it her that brought me back?_

_ … Wasn't it I who wanted to live? _I asked myself this, almost forcing it to surface my mind. This one question drowned all other questions out, like calming a storm at sea. I needed to hear her voice. I needed her to tell me right from wrong, to answer all of my questions; because she was the only one who would listen. She was the only one I would let break me down because she would bring me right back up. I was sinking again, and she was the only one close enough to save me. _I need to talk to her._

I pushed off of the ground with the little strength in my limbs only to see that I was naked still. How long had I been sitting there in the nude? I looked at the clothes with distaste, but it wouldn't be a good idea to walk around naked; I think.

The outfit consisted of a white, loose, stitched together pair of shorts, covering up to my knees. The shirt was also stitched together, but in a strange fashion, with no sleeves. It had a very tight collar that I had trouble getting over my hallow mask, and hugged my mid section, hinting my small build. Now I really wanted to walk around nude, this was ridiculous.

* * *

END OF CHAPER ONE

too long? D: well, i hope it was satisfactory, and sorry for my lack of imagination for a title x.x


	2. Jealousy

Welcome to "The Heart" Chapter two! I was glad people liked my first chapter, it was really surprising! And thank you for noticing the ishihime ;D this is and uquihime fic, but ishida should be brought out in the spotlight C:

* * *

"_No! Hold on Ulquiorra, I'll save you!" I charged my pink unicorn pony forward, my armor clinking together noisily as I bent my head low to gain speed. That stinky dragon took Ulquiorra, and I was going to get him back._

"_You'll never see him again stupid little human! He will become part of my doll collection, and if you continue to pester me you can join him!" He cackled like claps of thunder, hanging rights and lefts, dodging the huge statues and pillars that were aged with time. His six butterfly wings moving slowly, gracefully with the wind, and the other six on his tail waving up and down, carrying him higher to his castle in the sky, Hueco Mundo. I was trying my hardest to catch up with him, guiding my pink unicorn pony around the creepy structures, but I was losing him fast._

"_Okay Prince, get ready!" He whined in return, gaining speed and we turned to a straightaway. I reached for the flower-shaped whistle on my necklace, keeping a good hold on the reigns while clutching the horn on the saddle, and blew as hard as I could into it. It glowed bright orange, like fire, and exploded into life. Prince whined again, not breaking his stride as he neared the end of the road, where a huge crack in the earth split the small path in two, sucking in the other end to fall for an eternity in darkness. 'You can't get rid of us that easily!' I thought, almost laughing at the flying dragon insect. "Jump!"_

_He bounded off of the earth just as the fire orange glow enveloped us, growing into a huge ball. It swirled around us like vicious waved in an ocean, getting faster and stronger, holding us in the air as if in slow motion. The ball tightened around our bodies,clinging to our skin like a coat of warm water, absorbing into us as reality came back into view. It really did look like we were in slow motion, or should I say everything looked like it was in slow motion. The stinky dragon's wings waved slowly; the clouds of dust swirled around sluggishly. The light fragmenting off of our bodies spread like a wildfire, pushing time forward. We started falling, trying to keep up with the speeding time that pulled us toward whatever was at the bottom of the black hole, when the light shattered like a thin sheet of glass. We soared upward smoothly, quickly, like a roller coaster._

_Prince galloped, despite being in mid air, throwing his head back and side to side, screaming with delight and pure excitement. It was amazing, watching the ground shrink beneath us, being set loose. Ulquiorra was definitely coming back with us. 'I can't wait to show him this!' I thought happily, wondering if he would even get on the horse. 'Ah! No time to think about this, time to get your head back in the game Orihime!' I shunned myself mentally, focusing on the prehistoric white dragon, who's scales were tinted yellow and dirtied by time, and climbed higher into the dull sky._

"_Fool! This won't change anything!" He hissed. "Take this!" A gust of wind hit us hard, causing Prince to rear back and flail his wings, as he turned around to face us with one swing of his tail, one flap of his wings, smoke flooding from his sizzling mouth. Ulquiorra swung loosely from his giant hands, as if he was already a 'doll'. It dreaded me to think of that, I knew I would get him back. No matter what._

_He opened his toothy mouth, showing the red glow deep in his throat that resembled a thunder storm, black clouds with the occasional bright flash of color. The smoke from his mouth took over the sky, forbidding any sunlight for passing through. The only light was from the volcano in his mouth, ready to erupt. _

_I wouldn't let it end like this. I had to be braver. If I didn't do something now, I would lose Prince and Ulquiorra. Not happening. I reached my hand out in front of me, adrenaline coursing through my veins._

"_Koten Zanshun!" Light erupted from the whistle once again, shooting something off and into my hand. My sword, Tsubaki. The double-edged sword glowed, giving off a ringing sound. The scaly beast inhaled, bringing his head back and closing his jaws, packing the mass of heat together. "I REJECT!" He shot his head forward just as I swung with my sword, making contact with the burning ball of fire. I grunted under the pressure, using everything I had to keep it at bay. _

_'I'm really not strong enough, am I?' I was being greatly overpowered. The heat was scorching my skin, my arms were about ready to give out, and there was no one here to help. 'No one here to help...?' Was I really so accustomed to being a helpless little princess that that thought actually entered my mind? Of course there was no one to 'help'! I didn't want anyone to 'help'! I could do it by myself! 'HELP' WAS NOT NEEDED!_

_A different feeling coursed through my veins. It burned red and stung like fear, pulling me under to a world where nothing mattered but winning. It didn't matter if every bone in my body was broken, if every muscle was torn, it didn't matter. All that mattered is that I stand victorious in the end._

"_DIE!" One final push and the heat jumped backward, smacking the ugly moth lizard in the face with a loud 'BOOM!' Ulquiorra flew from his claws, falling toward the blackness limply. We dived after him, the golden wings leaving behind a trail of dust, slowly disappearing from the lack of energy. Tsubaki returned, leaving us free falling after the unconscious man._

"_Ulquiorra!" I reached out, holding the reins with my other hand. I had to get him before the wings fade! I reached out my other hand, letting go of the reins and leaning all of my weight forward. 'Almost there!'_

_I grabbed hold of his foot when I was close enough, pulling hard in hopes he would come towards me. Nope. My legs slipped off of Prince when I pulled, and Prince, thinking I had him, opened his wings and went in an opposite direction as I fell with Ulquiorra. Prince dived, but it was far too late to do anything. I held on to Ulquiorra for dear life, hoping, praying someone would save me._

"ULQUIORRA!_" The weightless feeling in my stomach ensued, I couldn't take it any more! _

_SMACK!_

"_OOWH!" _The both of them yelled in unison, falling on the ground with a _thump!_

Uryuu, who insisted on waking up Orihime instead of Ulquiorra so they could go find everyone else and leave, was sprawled on the floor with a big red bump on his forehead that matched Orihime's. Orihime, who must have been having some sort of dream, was rolling around crying my name hysterically. I, however, did not move from the place I was sitting to help either of them. I was too busy wondering why she was screaming my name for the past half hour while Uryuu vaguely explained to me my situation. Ichigo was fighting Aizen, but I had no riatsu left to do anything about it, and now I was beaten and bruised for trying to make a run for it.

_I'll die if Aizen finds out I'm still alive, which is inevitable because that boy can never dream of defeating him._ I ran through thoughts in my head, almost panicking even though I knew I would face my death with my head held high. Right? Something felt wrong about that, though. Very wrong. _What if Kurosaki won? _This was impossible, but the thought popped up in my mind anyways. What if he did? I would have nothing to worry about, right? The soul society might see me as a threat, but if they didn't? I would be free to be with this woman, to understand her and this 'heart'. This weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter. Then I was snapped back into reality when I saw a bright orange head speed towards me at an amazing rate.

"PUH!" The wind was squeezed out of my lungs, knocking me on the ground with another grunt. This woman-

"ULQUIORRA!" She was bawling, hooking her arms together in a bear hug and pushing her breasts against my chest as hard as she possibly could. "I THOUGH WE WERE GUNNA DIE!" She screamed in my ear again, yelling stuff about a moth dragon and a pink unicorn pony with no pauses in between. I wasn't really paying attention, I couldn't breathe.

"Woman." I grunted behind clenched teeth, feeling the warm blood trickle around my teeth, though my face remained impassive. _Was I still wounded? _Then I remembered the Quincy beating the life out of me every time I got to my feet. It was amazing I didn't start turning to ash again.

"Oh!" She released me, letting me slump over and cough out the blood in my throat. I didn't even finish hacking up fluids before she hung her shield over me like a blanket, sniffling and shaking. She was trying not to cry in front of me. For some reason this made me feel like it was my fault, which was not entirely false. I did not want her to act like before, when she lost her shine that she so dearly held onto. She was no longer in the castle's walls, so she should no longer act like she is.

"Woman. Calm yourself; I am fine." Yet she did not break her shield, looking closer to her breaking point every second. "Woman-"

"I-It's really-y you!" Tears began to spill out of her eyes, over her bright red cheeks. "I c-can't be-believe it's-s re-really y-you!" She lifted one hand, wiping her tears, even though they didn't stop.

I sat silently, staring at her with an unreadable expression. I wanted to comfort her. I wanted to touch her. I leaned forward, lifting my hand up to caress her cheek. It was involuntary, I couldn't stop myself. Everything about me was screaming for her, and the closer I got to her the louder it screamed, drowning out everything else.

"Who else would it be?" I took hold of her chin lightly with my index finger, slanting her head up the slightest. Electricity pulsed through my hand where I held her there, nearly two inches away from her shocked, embarrassed expression. "Foolish woman." I began to close the distance, doing what my body told me.

"Get away from Orihime." The Quincy lifted an arrow to the side of my face, catching us both off guard. The woman turned her head slightly, but I used my thumb to hold her in place, throwing a death glare at the rude teen.

"Or what, boy?" I said in a slightly mocking tone. He dare lift a weapon at me? If I had the strength I would smash him to dust. Trash.

"I'll shoot an arrow through your face. You won't come back this time." His voice was menacing, acting as if I was going to suck the woman's soul out of her body. "Promise." He held the projectile closer to my cheek, scraping it slightly.

"Uryuu stop!" The woman pulled on my arm, as if to pull me back, but I held my ground. This trash would not get the best of me, even if I hardly had strength to stand up.

"Orihime..." He gave her a look, a pleading, questioning look that, for some reason, made me angry. It made me want to erase him off of the face of the Earth so that he would never get to look at her again. Not that way, ever again. "... Never mind." The arrow left my cheek, cutting it. "We have to go look for Ichigo." His back faced us, getting farther away, but we were not following his lead. I had yet to release her, and she made no move of resistance.

I stared at him with unblinking eyes for a long moment. What was that just now? That look in his eyes, that look he gave her before he gave in. It aggravated me, that this _trash_ dare look at her like that. My stone face hardly reflected this, as usual. This feeling that I could only describe as anger, the only part I could understand, lifted me off of my feet. It picked me up and eagerly pushed me to the teen, who in return turned to meet me. Why was I doing this? This trash was not worth my time, but my limbs moved by their own burning will. He needed to be taught a lesson-

"Ulquiorra, stop!" The woman pulled on my forearm, catching my attention. I turned to meet her with my nostrils flaring, my pupils dilated. My tense limbs eased, relaxing ever so slightly at her touch. I looked at the Quincy once more; at his sad, pathetic expression. _Did he care for this woman? _The thought made me want to puke. This trash was not worthy of such a woman.

_Then who was worthy of her? How the hell did I know who deserved her, and why did I care? _I really did care about this woman, I could not deny it now. At least, I thought I did. What was 'caring' in this situation, friendship? Maybe... I'm pretty sure I fully comprehend what that is. _I care for her as a friend? _I was not sure if that made sense. I do not think what she describes as friends fit our relationship. _Maybe less? _It should be that way, but it left a heavy feeling in my chest. _Is that how the Quincy felt, then? _That made sense, considering the look he gave her. He must have been feeling the same thing, that crushing feeling that I hated so much. _If he cared for her the same way I do, then wouldn't that be 'friends'? _I didn't like that idea. I would not group myself in with him, with trash. I definitely cared for her more that any low life garbage on the planet.

"Orihime, we have to get moving." The Quincy's voice spoke out. I snapped out of my thoughts, noticing a pair of gray eyes staring at me. The moment we made eye contact she turned her to face the Quincy. I looked at her for a long moment, absorbing her features. Her face was coated with worry, worry for that trash who fought Aizen. Where were they? I could not feel any spiritual pressure at all, like everyone disappeared. It left an uncomfortable knot in my stomach.

* * *

It was quite a site to see.

After meeting Urahara at the portal back to Karakura town and explaining to him why Ulquiorra was walking casually with them, he told them very cheerily, with an I'm-up-to-something-bad smile, to hurry to Inoue's apartment and hide Ulquiorra. They had to do this before everyone entered the portal to Karakura town and found her. They were running through the streets leading to her apartment like they were on fire, hoping and praying no one entered the portal yet.

Ulquiorra was just as slow as Orihime, being that he was already exhausted enough and out of riatsu. It was really amazing that he was panting from running, a once in a lifetime event that Orihime would probably never get to see again, but she had no time to stare! They rounded one last corner, catching sight of her apartment. Old memories came flooding back to her, making her smile despite her exasperation.

"It's right there!" She managed to gasp, pointing to the building. She heard him grunt lightly, to her surprise. She wasn't expecting a reply of any sort...

They dragged themselves up the stairs, sweating and panting like pigs. They arrived at the door after what seemed like a 2,000 mile dash. Orihime reached for the doorknob, not even taking in concern that it was unlocked. They both flew into the small, messy apartment, taking a moment to catch their breath. Ulquiorra, being the first to breathe evenly, took the pleasure of leading the way around her apartment, where he caught sight of a bright orange slip of paper on top of a neatly wrapped object. Orihime read it over his shoulder aloud:

"'_Dear Orihime,_

_Thank you for taking your time to read this! I hope you made it alright! Well, I said I would help Ulquiorra for you, but I can't do anything right now! Too bad!_

… _Just kidding! HAHA!_

_Anyways, in the package I so carefully wrapped for your friend is my Riatsu Suppression Cloak! His Riatsu is already very low, but we don't want to take any chances do we? Just tell him to put it on and chill for a bit! It won't make him invisible so he needs to stay at your place till I can come get him. Now, Inoue, you should hurry and meed up with everyone! Kurosaki's waiting!_

_~Pleasure of Urahara -heart-'"_

The red head was the first to grab the package, ripping off the paper. She held up the long, ragged black cloak for both to see.

"Well, that was nice of him!" Her smile seemed to brighten the room, acquiring the green-eyed man's gaze. She must have seen him staring at her because she started blushing. "Uhh... Well, I have to go so," she handed him the cloak, pushing it against his chest, "Please stay here?" Her eyes closed, ready for refusal, but to her surprise he accepted the coat.

"Lock the door." He slid the cloak over his shoulders, letting It fall over the rest of his thin body like a curtain. He looked surprisingly handsome.

"Th-thank you..." Her brain was stuttering, tripping over thoughts that swarmed chaotically. He just agreed to stay in her apartment to wait for her. It was like we were a couple-

"Kurosaki's waiting." She snapped out of it, noticing his 'angry' look. She could tell what he was feeling by now, and so many emotions ran through his eyes it was hard to comprehend that he had none. Nodding and mumbling a thank you, she ran out of the apartment. Her face was bright red, especially when she turned around and locked the door. _Why was he so angry? _She thought, flustered by his strange moods. She needed to find Kurosaki now.

* * *

Her apartment was so messy. Clothes thrown everywhere, furniture arranged horridly, bright, neon colors everywhere... A nightmare. It looked as if someone walked in through her _carelessly unlocked door_ and threw a temper tantrum. You would think one of her friends would clean it up or at least lock the door.

I sat down on the couch in her living room, paying no mind to the pair of bright pink underwear, that read 'Prince' across the front, right next to where my head rested. No mind at all. Much to my dismay, however, my eyes drifted toward the under garments. My mind followed, slipping and falling in the gutters. I silently sat, wondering what she would look like in them... If she wore only that-

"Well, well, arn't we the little pervert?" I jumped, jerking my head to the annoying blonde standing at the end of the couch. "Tsk, tsk Ulqui-chan~" He said in a sing song voice, waving his finger like a mother scolding a child.

"Do not treat me like a child, trash. Tell me why you are here."

He pulled his ridiculous hat down slightly, forcing the mood to shift. "What do you mean? To help you of course." The grin on his face twisted into a smirk.

"Tell me why you are here, Urahara Kisuke." My voice was firm, countering his twisted expression. Did he really think I was an idiot? Of course he wouldn't help me. He was going to get rid of me while the woman was gone, quick and clean.

He lowered his head, his riatsu flaring slightly. _Here it comes... _I braced myself, ready to react-

"Alright, ya got me!" The heavy tension evaporated, as if that never happened. He smiled for ear to ear. "I came here to kidnap you!"

_WHAM!_

* * *

HAHAHAHA!

you guys have no idea how much fun this was to write; NONE.

So, what gonna happen next? Your probably like,

WHUTIZHEDOINSDJGBSUGBISBGJB~~!

but do not fret, dear children ;^; you will know~

and thank you guys, for reviewing my first chapter! I was very happy to read them, I really wasn't expecting any feedback at all~

and about orihime's dream. I drew pichurs * U * I gotta use my friendies scanner, but I will have them up soon~ if you didnt understand the moth-dragon thing, he was Aizen. Aizen was a stinky dragon. C:

And notice orihime's stupidity =w= isn't it adorable? ;D


	3. There for you

OHMYGOSH THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS * U *

they made me so happy D;

this contains spoilers from chapter 422 of the manga and onwards~

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

* * *

"Orihime! Where have you been? We've been looking for you all over!" Rukia ran up to greet me, followed by Chad, Uryuu, and Renji.

"Oh, well, you know... I-I stopped by my apartment real quick..." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. I guess they didn't know? I was almost positive Uryuu stayed behind to tell them. I really didn't want to do it myself! Ichigo was so mad at me, and I know that they would act the same! I didn't want anyone to hurt him nor get hurt, but I didn't want to keep him a 'secret'. I would have to tell them later... Unless they find out by themselves...

"Well what are ya waiting for? Lets go find Strawberry already!" Gosh Renji was impatient, but he was right. We began to walk, quite fast, toward the clearing where Ichigo was most definitely waiting.

It was strange. I just noticed that my heart wasn't beating erratically in my chest, or that I wasn't blushing from the thought of seeing Ichigo. I didn't act like that at Las Noches either, not that I could remember. Was it not just a few weeks ago that I claimed to be deeply in love with him? That he never left my mind? Now I was asking myself if I really do like him, or that I ever really did. I was just trying to push out a feeling that wasn't there, leaving my chest feeling tight. It kind of made me sad, like part of me ran away to Europe, changed their name, and grew a mustache, never to think about Kurosaki again. _Poor me... I hope I'm doing well... Maybe I own a pastry shop! I can make my own red bean paste dishes-_

"Orihime? Are you alright?" Rukia was looking up at me concerned, as well as three other pairs of eyes.

"Y-yeah, totally fine!" I waved my hands in front of me, hoping I was a little convincing.

"You need to stop zoning out, chickadee," Renji crossed his arms over his bandaged chest, "you could get yourself into some serious trouble."

"Don't worry Orihime, I'm sure Ichigo is fine." Chad reassured in his deep voice, making me jump.

"R-right..." _That's not what I was thinking about..._

"Look, Uraharas right there!" Everyone turned to look in the direction Rukia was pointing. There he was, talking to... _Is that Kurosaki? His hair is so long... How did it grow so fast?_

"Ku-Kurosaki?" I asked, fear taking its toll in my chest. What if it's not him? What if he's not okay? Would he still be mad? Sure enough, his surprised eyes made contact with hers.

"Orihime... Rukia, Uryuu, Chad, Renji... What are you doing up so soon?" A relieved smile spread across his face, shedding light on the dark worries in the corners of my mind.

"What are _you_ doing up so soon?" The shortest of the shinigami asked, giving him a mocking grin. Warm tears began to pool around my eyes, blurring my vision.

"Oh! I'm so glad your okay! I wasn't sure if it was even you-"

_THUD!_

He fell to the ground hard, clutching his tensed body for dear life and gasping for air like he was being strangled. Everyone's heart skipped a beat, yelling his name in a panicked unison.

"ICHIGO!" Sound began to escape his lips in rushed screams of agony, as if the air was knocked out of his lungs.

"GAH... AHH-**AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**"

* * *

My head hurt. It felt like I had a huge lump right on the top of my skull. That was strange, considering my hallow mask should be covering that area... I moved my head slightly, feeling the back or it rub on a hard surface. I moved it once more, opening my eyes to a dimly lit room.

_Where am I?_ Boxes were stacked all around me, a ceiling fan rotated nonchalantly, hardly making a breeze. I closed my eyes once more, thinking back on where I was last...

_Oh yes, now I remember._ I had been kidnapped... How ironic.

I sat up slowly, holding myself up with my left hand. Where did he put me? What were his plans for me? I stared stoically at the boxes, curious as to their contents. Who cares. My brain was drumming against my skull, making me lean over to regain vision. I ran through my hair with my hand, looking for the source of the pain. I still had my hallow mask on, thankfully. I found the painful lump right next to the edge of it, a little off center. I sure was being beat the shit out of a lot lately. _I deserved it though. _It was all because of her, and I didn't mind. If it was not for that woman, though, I would have been dead. Over and done with. She brought me back, taking everything I had and leaving me with nothing but her. My face remained dry as I mulled over thoughts in my mind. It was almost _unfair._

The door, about three yards away from me, opened, presenting a young girl with dark hair and a very sad expression. She looked at me for a moment, as if she came in to 'check' on me. I blinked slowly, waiting for some sort of explanation. She flinched, hiding behind the door frame with a deep red lightening up her cheeks.

"I-I'm... um... U-Urahara will be down shortly!" She managed to take a deep bow before dashing away back out of the door. I stared blankly at the exit, wondering if I should just get up and leave. I did not really care for what that lunatic had to say.

_Trash. _I would kill them all for treating me like so. Then again, I still had a very low riatsu level. I wouldn't want to upset the woman either. No, that left a bad feeling in my stomach and a sour taste in my mouth. Even now when I think of forcing her into Aizen's castle, forcing her to eat and follow orders... It felt like falling into a pit of fire. Chaos ripping out my insides, burning my flesh until nothing was left but scorched bone and yet I never stop falling. I took away her freedom, her light, for what? For him. For his own selfish desires and my own foolishness for treating a man so low with such quality. He did create me, and I am thankful, but only because I met that woman. Aizen never considered me anything more that a pawn for his sick game, and I remembered when I was okay with that. I was okay with dying for this man simply because of who he was. I had nothing, no rhyme or reason to be but for him. When I met that woman that changed. When I died I left everything I had, cut all of the strings, then she tied me to her own gravitational pull. She became the only thing I held on to.

Thinking about this made my body ache. The rest of this was blank. It felt like I knew what I was doing when I really don't know anything. Like getting lost when you swear you went the right way. I was going in circles. I was missing something...

"Welcome back Ulqui-chaaan~!" The ludicrous scientist bounded through the door, spinning awkwardly to a halt right in front of me. He bent his head level with mine, a huge smile ripping across his face.

"I thought you would never wake u-PHUH!" My fist made contact with his face. Not enough to knock him down nor enough to make him step back. I twisted my fist left and right, applying slightly more pressure before I motioned my arm to fulfill the movement. He fell down on his side, rubbing his red cheek. "That's not nice Ulqui-chan! I had a gift for you~"

"I don't care, trash. Tell me why you brought me here." My face, although unchanging, had a hint of anger. It was stupid, this entire thing was completely and utterly ridiculous. I'll be damned if I get caught up in one of his stupid stunts, I was already sick of looking at him.

"So serious!" He sat back up, planting a creepy expression on his face which was probably supposed to exaggerate the emotion 'sad'.

"Don't look at me like that, disgusting. Answer my question." This was getting really old really quick. Why must he delay things of importance with his stupidity?

He sighed, getting serious. _Finally. _"Okay, fine. As you know, you have very low riatsu. Your condition is very unstable, so I took you from Inou's place to examine your condition." He sighed again, pulling his hat down. "I gave you my cloak because Inoue was present when you put it on, so she knew your riatsu was supposed to disappear. Again, your condition is very unstable. If perhaps you died while Inoue was gone, she would have gone in a panic and everyone would find out that you were still alive. If you died with the cloak on no one would notice."

It took me a little to process this. My head was pounding ever since she brought me back, but no other pain? If my condition was that critical wouldn't I be in pain? My riatsu has never been this low before, so I wouldn't know...

"Inou healed your physical condition but her powers cannot heal riatsu. That's why I brought you here. When your riatsu is high enough I will put you in a Gigai and have Inoue look after you." His ugly fan blocked his face from my sight. _In a Gigai? With Inou? Is he mad?_

"Wouldn't the soul society come after me? Why must I stay with the woman? I will only bring her harm." It was common sense, yet he seemed to be lacking it. A Gigai would not fool anyone, and an Arrancar in a Gigai? Ridiculous.

"They might, but we don't know unless we try, right!" I could practically see the grin on his face. He was avoiding my other question. _What is he up to...?_

"Do not avoid my question-" The door swung open, revealing the very person in question. Her cheeks and eyes were bright red, from crying no doubt, and she was out of breath. Her fall colored hair was knotted and messy, sticking to her sweaty face. Her gray eyes met mine as if she hadn't seen me in months, hungrily eating my stare for what seemed like hours.

"Ulquiorra!" She was about to cry again. "I've been looking all over for you! I was so worried!" Her voice quivered slightly, shaking my conscious. Why was she so worried about _me?_ That strange feeling from before welled up in my chest, leaving me speechless.

"Now, now Inou, why don't you come sit?" The blonde scooted over, patting the floor next to him. She looked at me for a second longer, planting her bottom on the hard surface. "How is Kurosaki?"

The hairs on my neck stood up. _Something happened to him? He was still alive? _I threw a curious glance at Urahara, waiting for her answer.

"... He's still asleep." She looked down at her lap blankly, as if recalling something painful. "I left after everyone but Rukia because the sun was coming up... Then I went back to my apartment and no one was there, so I looked for Ulquiorra..." Her gray eyes met mine for a second before turning her attention to Urahara. "Why is he here?"

"Ah! I almost forgot!" He lied, standing up and approaching the door. "Be right back!" The darkness beyond the door frame swallowed him, leaving the woman and I alone.

She awkwardly played with her Arrancar uniform, dodging my gaze. "S-so... What happened...?" Her face began turning red again.

"... He kidnapped me." I couldn't lie to her, no matter how retarded it was. It even sounded stupid to me. Much to my dismay she started giggling. My cheeks became warmer, but my face stayed stiff. "What is so funny woman?" My voice sounded much more agitated than it should have.

"It-it's just—" Her laughter chimed throughout the dark room. "It's just s-so funny!" My skin burned, creating an awkward tension I let slide under her adorable laughter. It was music to my ears, but it was time to stop. I lunged over and grabbed her chin, setting her face parallel with my own.

"Do not mock me woman." My eyes bore into hers, cutting off the music immediately. I leaned closer, her breath washing over me and renewing my senses. _What am I doing? _It was that thing again! My body would not listen to me and it was too hard to resist. Everything I thought was set loose before it made sense.

"Ulqui-"

"Oops, sorry for interrupting!" The woman snapped her head back, slapping me with her messy hair. I sat there, regaining my thoughts and uncovering a new hate for this man. He was carrying... a body? We both sat speechless as the shocked silence cloaked us, eagerly broken by an earsplitting scream.

"KYAAAAAAA!" The woman flew back into me, sprawling us both on the futon. I unintentionally grabbed at something warm and fleshy with both hands, landing on the floor with the woman laying flat on top of me.

_SLAP!_

She covered her violated chest with both arms, sitting back up in a flustered hurry. I laid there stiff with my arms on either side of me, my head turned to the left with a bright red hand mark swelling up my cheek. I herd her gasp, my eyes turning to the side to meet her expression. She had tears in the corners of her gray orbs and one hand over her open mouth. The other was across her enormous breasts, squeezing them down.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I-I just-!"

"Woman. Get. Off." Her legs were straddling one of my thighs, one knee painfully digging into my crotch. My teeth ground together in agony, resisting the urge to moan in pain.

"OHMYGOSHI'MSOSORRY!" I felt her knee lift off to which I closed my legs and rolled over, keeping back any sound that threatened to leave my throat. My eyes were wide, letting a small amount of strain show. I herd the moron scientist make a pained noise, holding back a chuckle. I just wanted to get up and punch him in his face. Retard.

The woman only looked at me with a sorry expression as I slowly regained the ability to breathe. I rolled back over and sat up, glaring at the blonde who had a stupid smile on his face.

"Well! Back to the matter at hand!" The body fell off of his shoulder with a loud _thump!_ Earning a shriek from the only female in the room. "This is your Gigai! I took the privilege of _constructing _one while you were resting." He unzipped the black bag, revealing a young man with ink black hair and a pale complexion. It was strange looking at me like this, no mask, no hole, no markings... Though the woman was exited as ever, looking at the body with every ounce of interest. That made it even more strange for some reason. This was just weird...

"Look! He looks just like you!" It was creepy, really, how he made it look so... _What did he do to me while I was asleep...? _I stared at it blankly, not paying attention to what the woman was exclaiming. I really had to use a Gigai. Now that the woman has seen it it was inevitable.

"Well? Try it out! I need to explain everything to Inou, so pardon us!" His 'smile' burned itself into my eye balls as he took his leave with the redhead. An uneasy feeling settled in my stomach and began to take root. _How do I do this?_

I walked over to... me... And reached down to lift myself up. It was the first time I ever tried getting into a Gigai. I read books about it but never really cared about that subject. Humans were always trash... When did that change? When I met the woman, of course. She changed everything with just a few words, with just the chime of her voice. _She is human and she changed me. _I didn't feel disgusted with her nor myself for this. Such a strange feeling...

Once my soon-to-be-me body was out of the bag I began to 'enter' it. I simply laid back down on my back, only the body was under me. It was pretty comfortable, considering it was a _Gigai._ I almost wanted to jump back out of it, but this was for the woman. Only for the woman. I stood up, noticing that I was naked yet again. _How long was this going to occur? _I grabbed the blanket as a last resort, wrapping it around my exposed private areas. I couldn't help but notice how everything, _everything_, was proportioned _so accurately_. It looked like I wasn't even in a Gigai, but with more of a fleshy color. I didn't really ever care about such things as mating, they were trivial human activities, but I became curious. Humans don't only mate for a child, they do so for pleasure from what I have discovered. How disgusting.

I silently closed the blanket around my hips, leaving my upper body bare. The woman was very self conscious when it came to other people... Then again, how would I act if I saw her in the nude? I have before, but that was when she was held prisoner. If she walked in right now naked I much think she is crazy, but it would be very different then seeing her nude when she was a captive, I would think. That is how a human would feel at least.

I started to wonder, again, how Urahara made this Gigai. Everything about it, from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet looked exactly like me, minus the hallow mask and hole. Was there a complex way of making one of these? Did they all resemble their hosts perfectly? Maybe it was something of a blood sample? Everything about this was so jumbled up.

…

_What did he do to me while I was asleep...?_

* * *

"B-but why does he have to stay with me?" My face was burning just thinking about it. Ulquiorra had to live with me? How did that make sense!

"Because, Inou, he needs to learn about the real world. And in the event that something does happen I will not be able to help him like you can, and vise-verse. If I kept him here Ururu's sensor could easily go off. He is still a hallow, after all." His smile could almost be seen behind his fan. He couldn't be serious! Not only was this impossible, Ulquiorra would never agree to this. I at least knew that much. _He thinks all humans are trash. _

"B-but what about the Soul Society?" They won't let this slide! I definitely didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Don't worry Inou, I'll take care of that. But you have to take care of him. You were the one who brought him back, right?" The atmosphere shifted. Of course, how could I forget that! I felt ashamed, like an idiot, for saying such irresponsible things. I need to finish what I started.

"R-right... I'm sorry, thank you very much Mister Urahara!" The embarrassment was clear on my face. I did not regret bringing him back at all, but I just tried to throw him on someone else. It made me feel depressed in so many different ways. I wanted to kick myself in the head. _It can't be that bad... It's just Ulquiorra, it's really no problem! I'll teach him everything he needs to know! Like cooking chocolate curry with wasabi or maybe cake with red bean paste and pickles! So much yummy food; its making me hungry just thinking about it!_

"No problem Inou, now why don't we go check on our little friend? He's probably in his Gigai by now." My little dream world poofed into reality at the blonde man's voice. Now I was excited to see him, especially in his new body. Anxiety clutched my insides as we walked down the dark hall. _I can't wait to see him! _Urahara turned the doorknob to the room.

We walked in to a very handsome man looking very annoyed. He was half naked, a dirty old blanket wrapped around his thin hips revealing his smooth, toned stomach. It took me a while to process that this was Ulquiorra. He was just so... hot. His skin was pale, but a human pale. It made me wonder what he would look like with a tan. He was nicely toned, less than Ichigo but more that Uryuu, just perfect. His eyebrows were thick and black, matching his inky hair and clashing with his glowing green eyes. No markings, no mask, no hole. He looked just like a human.

"How long do you plan to stare at me woman?" A deep blush colored my face when I realized I was staring, drooling over his perfection. It was _Ulquiorra _For god sakes. He was hot, but there was a line somewhere. I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly, giggling along with Urahara, who had also been staring. Only he had a big silly smile on his face.

"O-oopsies! I was just surprised to see you... like this." It was true. He really got in a Gigai... But that was definitely not why I was staring... I felt so _ashamed._

"Like this? Do you mean as a human? I fail to see why you would be surprised as so." His gaze was like stone on his unchanging face. _Was he... Was he teasing me? _Something about the look in his eyes suggested so. After all my stare was probably not convincing as one of 'surprise'. My vibrant cheeks did not help the least. I never thought of Ichigo this way when I saw him half naked. It was usually after big fights so it wasn't really embarrassing... I never really thought about it. When I saw Ulquiorra like that my heart raced and I felt really uncomfortable. It was just _different._

"... Well you two are probably really tired after such a long day, no?" We both looked at him with no answer. "Inou, you should go back to your apartment with Ulquiorra. You both need a good rest." He smiled wide, none of us moving or speaking because of the awkward atmosphere.

"U-Umm... Urahara-"

"Oh! Right! I almost forgot! I'll go get him some clothes, be right back!" I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed like he did that on purpose... I pushed that thought out of my mind, focusing on the green eyed man staring at me with an unreadable expression.

"S-so..." He wasn't the talking type, but I had to try. I glanced over at him and caught his eyes, locking me in like a sticky trap. Seconds felt like minutes while we stared at each other. My thoughts shook like an earthquake, pounding my heart in my ears.

"Woman." Everything shattered like a crashing wave, waking me up. He had a question? It looked like it. Like his curiosity got the best of him. "Do you dislike my form?" His monotone voice was tinted with concern, worry even, but it did not betray his features. "Or is it that me staying in the same residence as yourself troubles you?"

"Wh-what? No! Of course not! It's just..." Blood rushed to my face. _How am I going to tell him this? It's so embarrassing! _I couldn't possibly tell him what I was thinking. I didn't even know what I was thinking!

"It's just what?" He walked closer, his deep emerald eyes nailing me in place. I was getting nervous again, my palms sweating and my skin burning. He stopped less than a foot away from me, peering down slightly with that confused look.

"We-well... I, uh..." Everything was becoming cloudy. I realized I was leaning closer to him, almost touching. My mouth opened to speak but the door swung open, revealing Urahara and a neatly folded file of clothes. We both stared at him in shock and horror as he stared back practically mirroring our expressions. Or at least mine.

"Oh! My apologies for coming an at the wrong time! Again! Hehe..." Ulquiorra looked even more confused. I backed up a few, avoiding his lost stare though his eyes lingered. I watched his bare feet as he walked over to receive his clothing. I followed Urahara out of the door and waited patiently for Ulquiorra.

"L-listen, nothing went on! He just asked a question and walked really close to me so please don't get the wrong idea Urahara!" It was really embarrassing! I know Ulquiorra didn't mean for it but I had to get it off my chest.

"Don't worry Inou, I won't tell _anyone." _ He smiled an winked. The door opened as if on cue, showing the very man on my mind dressed in sloppy attire. He wore old black sweats with an oversized dark gray shirt, white socks and tan-ish slippers dressing his feet. He still looked absurdly handsome.

"Alright! I guess you two should get going then! I'll come by in a few days to visit!" He rushed us out into the chilly morning, shutting the door without a moments hesitation. The sun was barley rising, casting a bluish shadow across the empty streets.

"Well... That was odd..." I gathered my thoughts, staring at the door to try and distract myself from an all to familiar gaze. "I guess we should get going..." Yawning, I turned on a heel to face Ulquiorra. He looked mad...

"Woman. You have yet to answer my question. Are you uncomfortable with me?" He must have been tired too. Grumpy.

"Well, no! It's just strange seeing you... you know... naked..." I looked at the ground, blushing furiously at memories of him _completely _naked. "W-we should get back! I'm really tired!" Smiling, I began to walk. He followed right next to me now looking ahead. I took this opportunity to glance at him, but my eyes lingered of their own accord. I found myself leaning toward him again. I quickly corrected myself before he noticed, flustered by my behavior. _I must be tired..._

* * *

We reached the woman's apartment, taking in that it was spotless. There was no sign of the previous mess anywhere, no discarded trash, no crooked furniture, no pink undergarments...

"Wow, what happened?" She ran across the clean apartment in a ridiculously happy way. Should she not be worried? It needed a good cleaning but someone invaded her home. Shouldn't she feel the least bit worried? "Ulquiorra look!" She called from the kitchen, "we have food!"

_Why would I need foo-? _

My thoughts were interrupted by a low growling noise that emitted by my abdomen. _This human body... _It would take a while to get used to this. _How bothersome... _I walked over to where the woman was, my hands deep in my pockets. I noticed quite a few different things about this body. How the heart moved around erratically at the sight of the woman, beating in my ears so loud she could probably hear it. Strange pressure would build up in strange parts of this human body and it would move on it's own. Maybe it was not made as well as it seemed? Trash scientist, I would have to tell him to make a new one...

By the time I got to the kitchen she was already wolfing down food. I noted that there was also a small pile of packaged goods at the chair across from her. The wrappers were shiny and colorful with very little detailed illustrations all over them. They looked more like toys.

"Artphyou huhngry?" Small flecks of food flew from her full mouth as she spoke. Not saying a word I sat down across from her. She stopped chewing for a moment to smile and wipe the crumbs off of her reddened face. Ignoring the strange sticky feeling in my chest I began to choose which colorful package who's contents I would consume. I went for the least colorful one, a small, rectangular, silver, shiny package with small and very poorly drawn squares. The little squares had eyes, mouths, and small stick limbs... _Why was this on food? _

I unwrapped it and pulled out the pastries, the sweet smell of baked bread reaching my human nostrils and rumbling my stomach. It was quite appealing, the stiff bread topped with an equally stiff coating of smooth white sweet stuff. I quickly finished both to tame my starving gut. My mouth felt sticky and the taste lingered, lacking the saliva to remove it. I needed a drink. I contemplated asking the woman, but she was eating and it would be unruly to interrupt her. Glancing around at the food packages I noticed some that weren't packages, but cylinders. They were reddish brown with bubbles printed across it and 'Dr. Pepper' in big letters. I assumed this was some sort of beverage.

I reached for the drink, staring at it in my hand curiously... _How do I open this? _

I noticed a small lever like thing on the top. I prodded my forefinger under the small switch. It did nothing. Wondering if it was broken I pulled it up all the way. It fizzed wildly, spraying sugary liquid all over the place. A jet of the sweet substance shot up my nose and in my partially opened mouth, bubbling wildly in my searing nostrils and throat. I dropped the can in surprise, watching in confusion as it span rapidly on the table and getting everything wet in the process. It soon ceased its messy fit, laying motionless and empty between the woman and I.

A long moment of silence followed, broken by bubbly giggles. I looked over to the very woman responsible, a deep furrow across my face. It was then I realized there was a small piece of bright pink paper sticking to the bottom of the empty can.

"_'Did I get you? HAHAHAHAHA!'"_

The writing was familiar. _That scientist... _Whatever that thing was it made a mess all over the place. I clenched my fists, realizing that the sugary substance had left my skin sticky. For some reason I began to feel very ticked off. It was just a simple thing, it will come off with water, but never the less it made me angry. Muffled laughter from across the table drew my attention to a red head with an equally red face.

"PFFT... AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" She doubled over on the table laughing, clutching her sides. Tears began to fall from her eyes and her upper lip curled mechanically. It kind of startled me. _Would a regular human laugh like this? _Then again it was the woman. Everything she did was strange. I sat, staring at her with a shocked, confused expression waiting for her to finish up. And I was still thirsty.

"Woman." She had calmed down enough to answer me. Wiping her teary eyes, she sat up and sighed something of content. Her breaths were quivering as well as her limbs. You would think that she _had _been crying.

"Phew! That was hilarious!" She giggled and offered a warm smile. My face was solid, ordering an explanation. "Oh! Come on! Don't look so angry. Your soda was just shaken up. No worries, I'll get this cleaned up in a jiffy!" She gave me an exaggerated thumbs up, waiting for a reply. _Was she serious? _She was covered in the sticky beverage too, but it was _my _beverage. I would not let this woman clean up after me.

"Don't be foolish. I will clean it up." I rose from my set and headed for the woman's kitchen sink. Behind me I herd a chair slide against the floor followed by the feeling of her eyes watching me for a few seconds. Her feet padded against the hard floor all the way down the hall into the bathroom. A shower soon began to run.

I grabbed a large yellow sponge and a towel, both of which seemed brand new, and washed off my hands and arms. I then took them to the scene of the crime, scrubbing furiously at the sticky surfaces. The sponge soon became sticky itself. I headed back to the kitchen to rinse it off and apply a new layer of soap. I did this back and fourth, drying with the decorated towel, until it was cleaned up.

"Wow! You really did that fast!" Her sudden outburst made me jump very noticeably. I didn't hear her coming down the hall. "O-Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" She giggled, her beautiful skin flushed slightly. Her bubbly, appealing appearance drew me in, my eyes absorbing all of her lush features like a child with candy. Her bulbous breasts were hanging loosely in her dampened shirt, unbound. Her neatly combed wet hair clung to her fare skin, clashing wonderfully with wild ferocity. Her slim, slightly muscular legs were revealed thanks to her very little clothing. And that smell. She smelled like... like... flowers? I have never smelled a flower in my entire life, but this woman would constantly describe to me every single little detail about anything I did not experience. She one told me what flowers smell like and how beautiful they are, but only now that I am so close to one I can understand. Close to her, this striking rose that shot my senses down ruthlessly. Feelings, 'emotions', aroused me in curious ways. My lower abdomen lurched and my entire body was aflame with these feelings. I was boggled as to why, but it must involve this woman. The answer was right in front of my face but I _wasn't seeing it. _

It began to frustrate me. Something was in my way, something I did not understand at all. Maybe it was some sort of invisible mind block in my head that prevented any sensible thought to pass through. Maybe that mind block was this woman. Maybe she changed more than I thought she did.

"Um... You can take shower now. I have some of my brothers clothes for you, and a towel..." The woman seemed uncomfortable with these words. _Her brother... _She told me about her brother. Sora. He died while she was very young. She told me this while she was captive; she even started crying, but did not stop telling me everything and anything about her brother. That is what I admire about her, her strength. She had that ability to hang on to the tiniest thread through the biggest hurricane.

"Go to bed woman." I looked her dead in the eye and said this, like an order. It came out sounding like a question.

"Y-yeah..." Her face lit up again, she avoided eye contact and fidgeted with her hands. I could predict those kind of actions now. She would bite her lip and look at her feet, then try and start a conversation just to break the silence. Strange, strange woman.

I walked passed her to the bathing room. Behind me I herd her shuffle around to stare at me as I walked down the hall. Then she made her way to her room, to which I herd her bed creak as she jumped on it. Was she sick? She has been acting like this since we left Hueco Mundo... Was I worrying about her? Well, when didn't I? It's mandatory, right? I have never worried about anyone else in my life though. Was I losing my sanity? Why am I asking myself so many questions?

I sighed inwardly as I started the shower. It didn't feel like a bad thing. I was part of her world now, and if this is how humans felt daily then I would have to live with it. Steam fogged the air thickly, sticking to my dirty skin like a coat of oil. I quickly removed my ugly make-shift clothing and made contact with the hot water.

_It smells like her..._

The scent from the previous shower filled my nostrils, sending chills down my spine. Warm, like the human sun and the water beating down on me. She told me this too, this feeling I felt just by being around her. _That_ I understood and could explain perfectly just by hearing her voice. If I closed my eyes right now I would be right next to her. The warmth, the scent, everything reminded me about her. It's normal, right? If it felt so right, then it was definitely normal in this human body.

I lathered and rinsed my hair and skin twice. For some reason It felt necessary. Not really getting all of the soap off of my tired body, I stepped out of the shower. Luckily I didn't have to look for the towel for too long. I ran it across my hair and body as fast as my sluggish limbs could move, putting my previous clothes back on my damp frame. I noticed the sun was up, mocking my fatigued eyes. _So tired..._

I stumbled out of the bathing room and made my way to the woman's couch, where I was surprised to see that very human laying there on a pile of blankets. I walked closer, slightly alarmed at her stillness. _She was asleep..._

She fell asleep on her couch while she was laying out blankets for me. A few pillows were already out and in the right position, but the blankets she held under her were still folded. _If she was that tired why didn't she just go to bed? _Foolish woman. I reached over to shake her, but decided against it. It would be rude. My hand brushed her soft face, caressing her jaw cautiously, almost curiously. I soon found myself just inches away from her, my hand roaming behind her ear and gently through her hair, which was still damp. I rested my mouth at her temple, sighing as her warm skin made contact with my suddenly cold lips. Anxiety surged through my veins, dangerous thoughts swarming the very corners of my mind, protesting the contact between us.

I pulled away, dismissing the inappropriate images and sounds my mind produced. My breaths were slightly heavier, ragged and rushed. One million questions obnoxiously clouded my mind as I stared at her unmoving figure questionably. That right now... What was that? _Never_ before have I _ever_ let those kind of indecent thoughts, especially about her, cross my mind at any moment. Then they just suddenly swarm in like that? Was that the weakness of humans? Is that how they talk about emotions so easily?

_I need to calm down. _I'm not going to figure this out unless I answer one question at a time. I looked back at the ginger beauty, taking in her silky hair that hung gracefully around her. _I should take her to bed first. It would help me think. _

She was very light, considering her bulbous chest and curvy hips. Her very revealing clothing did not help me any. I thought of something else, or at least tried, as I made the short walk to her bedroom. It really felt longer than is should have. Her warm skin pressed tightly to me, accompanied by her smooth breaths that nearly broke me down. Every single one of my nerves, my senses, were one hundred percent alert. I could practically feel the pores of her skin.

After about one long minute of walking a few yards I reached her bed. I took in that everything was bright pink and yellow. The dim morning light refracted off of the harsh colors and stabbed my eyes to a bloody pulp. You would think I would be used to it.

"Nnn..."

My body froze up, my eyes locked on the woman. I had one knee on the bed, ready to set her down. What if she woke up right now? It certainly wouldn't be pleasant. I leaned over to set her down, having to lean back up when she started squirming.

"S-Sora..." She clang to my shirt in her sleepy daze. Even my own worn down state began to shed a new skin. What was this feeling now?

"Please don't go..." Tears began to pool around her closed eyes. "Don't leave me..."

Was this some sort of pity I was feeling? Why would she be talking about her brother this way if he was dead? Was she... dreaming?

She continued to cry in her sleep like she so often did as a prisoner. However, this time she was in my arms, reliving her nightmare still. So often as numero quarto espada I stood outside her cell door and listened to her agonizing cries and pleads for her nakama, for her long dead brother, it was carved into my memory. All I felt was hollow. Emptiness. I never did anything about it, just listened. Maybe hoping to learn something? To feel something? The cold irony of it drew me in to breaking point, but it wouldn't stop. The questions, the confusion, the _lust. _I wanted to know what was missing. The difference in listening to her cry behind locked doors and listening to her cry in my arms was so vast it stretched around the world. She needed someone all this time and all I did was watch her? Observe her? How could I be so _stupid_?

I held her, half of her body already on her bed. She buried her face into my neck and bawled hysterically, calling out her brother's name as if she just watched him die. The only thing I could do was this, was to be the one she needed. I was the only one there during the long nights that she cried and this was the first time I offered comfort. This entire time she was crushed under her own self-pity, not able to do anything about her situation, and this was her only release that seemed to matter.

I knew this feeling now. Sadness. Pity was only part of this heavy soup of emotion. The fact that I waited this long to reach out and help her made me _sad. _It made me _angry. _I was here for her now and I would never let her go.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER 3

SORRY IT TOOK SO LONNGGGGG D8

and sorry its so cheesy ;_; it kind of sucks but I needed to post it

AND GUYS

I HAVE A DEVIANTART

GO LOOK AT IT. ON MY FRONT PAGE. URR

got ulquiorra Is like, on is period LOL. Im trying to convey it as clear as I can ;_; he felt NOTHING. Now he feels SOMETHING. Just thought I should clear that up for you ;D

ON TO CHAPTER FOUR


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